Carboy is overflowing! What do I do!

Blowoff tube would be your best bet to save the beer and avoid explosions. Do you have any tubing at all? If so, sanitize it and shove it into where the airlock goes. Put the other end of the tube into a growler or bucket with enough water to keep the end of the tubing submerged.

 

If a blowoff tube is out of the question, you can make do by just covering the opening with foil instead of an airlock. During a vigorous primary it'll be good enough. Then when it dies down put on a clean airlock.

 

Whatever you decide, make sure to sanitize anything that comes in contact with the beer, krausen or open edge of the carboy.

 

Cool it down too.. sounds like you are probably fermenting it pretty darn warm.

 

If your fermenter is only half of the way full with beer and the krausen (foam) is still managing to blow out of the carboy, you definitely have some issue.... Too high of a fermentation temperature is my best guess. What type of beer, what original gravity, and what strain of yeast btw? That could play a part......

 

Well, you learned something here: high gravity + warm fermentation temperature = BIG Blowoff!

Cheers!

 

I would use a blowoff tube for everything in the future. I learned that the hard way , had to clean up the ceiling, walls, floor etc.. The boss was not happy.

 

Panic! Rush!! Hurry!!! Run around in circles!!!! The world is coming to an end!!!!!

 

So I did a 1.113 og stout this weekend and pitched copious amounts of yeast in her, put her in the basement at 64 and held on tight. Started strong, and within an hour of the initial signs of fermentation starting I had krausen in the airlock. Luckily I had a blowoff tube ready. When I pulled the airlock for the switch I got a yeast money shot right across the face. But really, just have a blowoff ready for next time. I used the bottom half of a 3 piece airlock, I cut the end off that goes in the bucket so it doesn't have that little cage on it, and stick some tubing over the inner part that usually has the floating "cap" on it. I stink the end of it into a growler full of star san and I'm good to go. Bonus part is its all crap I have laying around, and you should too.

 

For what it's worth when I do big beers I split it in two carboys and ferment it as cool as the yeast can handle it. I don't need to worry about blow off and wort loss.

Key is to figure your headspace and your fermentation temp. 74 is too high for any ale yeast except a saison in my opinion.

 

Fermcap S works great as well. A little drizzle of that after pitching and it normally keeps the blowoff in check.

 

You are always better off by trying to ferment at the low end of the suggested temp range, which is usually around 65 for ale yeast. The fermentation process creates additional heat that will increase from the starting temp, so keeping the starting temp low is the goal. Fermenting at higher temps can cause the formation of unwanted esters, some of which the yeast may not be able to clean up after fermentation is done, so you could get some unwanted flavors that will remain in your beer.

 

Agreed. That's why I always harp on this to noobs. And if you're in a warm climate like me, just get the freezer/controller first. Then you know you'll be serious.

Why, are you running for congress?

 

Something like this could be useful, though I don't know if it's past initial funding. And look at that, you even have a jacket that is easy to wash for when overflows happen. Now isn't that something?

http://www.brewjacket.com/immersion-homebrew-lager-without-refrigerator/

 

You can get a controller pretty reasonable, cheaper if you can wire it up on your own. Obviously you'll need a fridge or freezer to hook up said controller to, but you can find a used one for free/cheap, or buy a new one if you find a price you like.

You can get a Johnson A419 for close to that price if you shop around, and it's a plug and play controller. There are cheaper, non digital ones as well.

 

a freezer is as useful as the size of it and as cheep as you can find it. Most will do one bucket or carboy fine, but you'll need more space, and perhaps some special containers, to fit more than one. I have one that does a 6.5g fine but in order to have two batches going at once in that freezer, I have to use a shorter 8 gal bucket with a special setup for the airlock.

Controller about $60 new maybe a touch more, Johnson, works great.

haven't tried it but if it works then it ain't broke.